it unto you There the Minister who is also himselfe to communicate is to breake the Bread and give it to the Communicants Take yee eat yee This is the Body of Christ which is broken for you Do this in remembrance of him In like manner the Minister is to take the Cup and say in these expressions or other the like used by Christ or the Apostle upon the same occasion According to the Institution command and example of our Lord Jesus Christ I take this Cup and give it unto you Here he giveth it to the Communicants This Cup is the new Testament in the Blood of Christ which is shed for the remission of the sins of many Drink ye all of it After all have communicated the Minister may in a few words put them in mind Of the grace of God in Jesus Christ held forth in this Sacrament and exhort them to walk worthy of it The Minister is to give solemn thanks to God For his rich mercy and invaluable goodnesse vouchsafed to them in that Sacrament and to entreat for pardon for the defects of the whole service and for the gracious assistance of his good Spirit whereby they may be enabled to walk in the strength of that Grace as becometh those who have received so great pledges of salvation The Collection for the poore is so to be ordered that no part of the publique worship be thereby hindred Of the Sanctification of the Lords Day THe Lords day ought to be so remembred beforehand as that all worldly businesse of our ordinary Callings may be so ordered and so timely and seasonably laid aside as they may not be impediments to the due sanctifying of the Day when it comes The whole Day is to be celebrated as holy to the Lord both in publique and private as being the Christian Sabbath To which end it is requisite that there be a holy cessation or resting all the Day from all unnecessary labours and an abstaining not onely from all sports and pastimes but also from all worldly words and thoughts That the Diet on that Day be so ordered as that neither servants be unnecessarily detained from the publique worship of God nor any other persons hindred from the sanctifying that Day That there be private preparation of every person and family by prayer for themselves and for Gods assistance of the Minister and for a blessing upon his Ministry and by such other holy exercises as may further dispose them to a more comfortable communion with God in his publique Ordinances That al the people meet so timely for publique Worship that the whole Congregation may be present at the beginning and with one heart solemnly joyne together in all parts of the publique Worship and not depart till after the Blessing That what time is vacant between or after the solemne meetings of the Congregation in publique be spent in Reading Meditation Repetition of Sermons especially by calling their families to an account of what they have heard and catechizing of them holy conferences Prayer for a blessing upon the Publique Ordinances singing of Psalms visiting the sick relieving the poore and such like duties of piety charity and mercy accounting the Sabbath a delight The Solemnization of Marriage ALthough Marriage be no sacrament nor peculiar to the Church of God but common to mankind and of Publique interest in every Common-wealth yet because such as marry are to marry in the Lord and have speciall need of Instruction Direction and Exhortation from the Word of God at their entring into such a new condition and of the blessing of God upon them therein we judge it expedient that marriage be solemnized by a lawfull Minister of the Word that he may accordingly counsell them and pray for a blessing upon them Marriage is to be betwixt one man and one woman onely and they such as are not within the degrees of Consanguinity or Affinity prohibited by the Word of God And the parties are to be of years of discretion fit to make their own choice or upon good grounds to give their mutuall consent Before the solemnizing of Marriage between any Persons their purpose of Marriage shall be published by the Minister three severall Sabbath dayes in the Congregation at the place or places of their most usuall and constant abode respectively And of this Publication the Minister who is to joyne them in marriage shall have sufficient Testimony before he proceed to solemnize the marriage Before that Publication of such their purpose if the parties be under age the consent of the Parents or others under whose power they are in case the Parents be dead is to be made known to the Church Officers of that Congregation to be Recorded The like is to be observed in the proceedings of all others although of age whose Parents are living for their first marriage And in after marriages of either of those parties they shall be exhorted not to contract marriage without first acquainting their Parents with it if with conveniency it may be done endevouring to obtaine their consent Parents ought not to force their children to marry without their free consent nor deny their own consent without just cause After the purpose or contract of marriage hath beene thus published the marriage is not to be long deferred Therefore the Minister having had convenient warning and nothing being objected to hinder it is publiquely to solemnize it in the place appointed by Authority for publique Worship before a competent number of credible witnesses at some convenient houre of the day at any time of the year except on a day of Publique humiliation And we advise that it be not on the Lords Day And because all Relations are sanctified by the Word and Prayer the Minister is to pray for a blessing upon them to this effect Acknowledging our sins whereby we have made our selves lesse then the least of all the mercies of God and provok'd him to imbitter all our comforts earnestly in the name of Christ to intreat the Lord whose presence and favour is the happinesse of every condition and sweeten's every Relation to be their Portion and to owne and accept them in Christ who are now to be joyned in the honourable Estate of Marriage the Covenant of their God and that as he hath brought them together by his Providence he would sanctifie them by his Spirit giving them a new frame of heart fit for their new estate enriching them with all Graces whereby they may perform the duties enjoy the comforts undergoe the cares and resist the temptations which accompany that condition as becommeth Christians The Prayer being ended it is convenient that the Minister doe briefly declare unto them out of the Scripture The Institution Vse and ends of marriage with the Conjugall duties which in all faithfulnesse they are to perform each to other exhorting them to study the holy Word of God that they may learn to live by faith and to be content in the midst of
and afflicting of the soul Speciall choice is to be made of such Scriptures to be read and of such Texts for Preaching as may best work the hearts of the hearers to the speciall businesse of the day and most dispose them to humiliation and repentance insisting most on those particulars which each Ministers observation and experience tels him are most conducing to the edification and reformation of that Congregation to which he preacheth Before the close of the Publique Duties the Minister is in his own and the peoples names to engage his and their hearts to be the Lords with professed purpose and resolution to reform what ever is amisse among them and more particularly such sins as they have been more remarkably guilty of and to draw neerer unto God and to walk more closely and faithfully with him in new obedience then ever before He is also to admonish the people with all importunity that the work of that day doth not end with the Publique duties of it but that they are so to improve the remainder of the day and of their whole life in reinforcing upon themselves and their families in private all those godly affections and resolutions which they professed in Publique as that they may be setled in their hearts for ever and themselves may more sensibly finde that God hath smelt a sweet savour in Christ from their performances and is pacified towards them by answers of Grace in pardoning of sin in removing of Judgements in averting or preventing of plagues and in conferring of blessings suitable to the conditions and prayers of his people by Jesus Christ Beside solemne generall Fasts injoyned by Authority we judge that at other times Congregations may keepe dayes of Fasting as Divine Providence shall administer unto them speciall occasions And also that Families may doe the same so it be not on dayes wherein the Congregation to which they doe belong is to meet for fasting or other publique Duties of Worship Concerning the Observation of Dayes of Publique Thankesgiving WHen any such Day is to be kept let notice be given of it and of the occasion thereof some convenient time before that the people may the better prepare themselves thereunto The Day being come and the Congregation after private preparations being assembled the Minister is to begin with a word of Exhortation to stir up the people to the Duty for which they are met and with a short prayer for Gods assistance and blessing as at other Conventions for Publique Worship according to the particular occasion of their meeting Let him then make some pithy narration of the Deliverance obtained or Mercy received or of whatever hath occasioned that assembling of the Congregation that all may better understand it or be minded of it and more affected with it And because singing of Psalmes is of all other the most proper Ordinance for expressing of Joy and Thanksgiving let some pertinent Psalme or Psalmes be sung for that purpose before or after the reading of some portion of the Word suitable to the present businesse Then let the Minister who is to preach proceed to further Exhortation and Prayer before his Sermon with speciall reference to the present work after which let him preach upon some Text of Scripture pertinent to the occasion The Sermon ended let him not only pray as at other times after preaching is directed with remembrance of the necessities of the Church King and State if before the Sermon they were omitted but inlarge himself in due and solemn Thanksgiving for former mercies and deliverances but more especially for that which at the present calls them together to give thanks with humble petition for the continuance and renewing of Gods wonted mercies as need shall bee and for sanctifying grace to make a right use thereof And so having sung another Psalme suitable to the mercy let him dismisse the Congregation with a blessing that they may have some convenient time for their repast and refreshing But the Minister before their dismission is solemnly to admonish them to beware of all excesse and riot tending to gluttony or drunkennesse and much more of these sins themselves in their eating and refreshing and to take care that their mirth and rejoycing be not carnall but spirituall which may make Gods praise to be glorious and themselves humble and sober and that both their feeding and rejoycing may render them more cheerfull and inlarged further to celebrate his Praises in the midst of the Congregation when they return unto it in the remaining part of that Day When the Congregation shall be againe assembled the like course in praying reading preaching singing of Psalmes and offering up of more praise and thanksgiving that is before directed for the morning is to be renewed and continued so far as the time will give leave At one or both of the publique meetings that day a Collection is to be made for the poor and in the like manner upon the Day of Publique Humiliation that their loynes may blesse us and rejoyce the more with us And the people are to be exhorted at the end of the latter meeting to spend the residue of that Day in holy duties and testifications of Christian love and charity one towards another and of rejoycing more and more in the Lord as becommeth those who make the joy of the Lord their strength Of Singing of Psalmes IT is the duty of Christians to praise God publiquely by singing of Psalmes together in the Congregation and also privately in the Family In singing of Psalmes the voice is to be tunably and gravely ordered but the chief care must be to sing with understanding and with Grace in the heart making melody unto the Lord. That the whole Congregation may joyne herein every one that can reade is to have a Psalme book and all others not disabled by age or otherwise are to be exhorted to learn to reade But for the present where many in the Congregation cannot read it is convenient that the Minister or some other fit person appointed by him and the other Ruling Officers doe read the Psalme line by line before the singing thereof An Appendix touching Dayes and Places for Publique worship THere is no Day commanded in Scripture to be kept holy under the Gospell but the Lords day which is the Christian Sabbath Festivall daies vulgarly called Holy daies having no warrant in the word of God are not to be continued Neverthelesse it is lawfull and necessary upon speciall emergent occasions to separate a day or daies for Publique Fasting or Thanksgiving as the severall eminent and extraordinarie dispensations of Gods providence shall administer cause and opportunity to his people As no place is capable of any holines under pretence of whatsoevâ—… Dedication or Consecration so neither is it subject to such pollution by any superstition formerly used and now laid aside as may render it unlawfull or inconvenient for Christians to meet together therein for the publique worship of God And therefore we hold it requisite that the places of publique assembling for worship among us should be continued and imployed to that use FINIS THE CONTENTS THe Ordinance The Preface Pag. 1 Of the Assembling of the Congregation 9 Of Publique reading of the holy Scripture 12 Of Publique Prayer before the Sermon 14 Of the Preaching of the Word 27 Of Prayer after the Sermon 36 Of the Sacrament of Baptisme 39 Of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper 48 Of the Sanctification of the Lords Day 56 Of the Solemnization of Marriage 58 Of the Visitation of the Sick 64 Of Buriall of the Dead 73 Of Publique solemne Fasting 74 Of the observation of dayes of Publique thanksgiving 80 Of singing of Psalmes 83 An Appendix touching Dayes and Places of Publique Worship 85
and liberty To turne the chiefe and most usefull heads of the Sermon into some few Petitions and to pray that it may abide in the heart and bring forth fruit To pray for preparation for Death and Judgement and a watching for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ To intreat of God the forgivenesse of the iniquities of our holy things and the acceptation of our spirituall sacrifice through the merit and mediation of our great High-Priest and Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ And because the Prayer which Christ taught his Disciples is not only a Pattern of Prayer but it selfe a most comprehensive Prayer we recommend it also to be used in the Prayers of the Church And whereas at the Administration of the Sacraments the holding Publique Fasts and dayes of Thanksgiving and other speciall occasions which may afford matter of speciall Petitions and Thanksgivings It is requisite to expresse somewhat in our publike Prayers as at this time it is our duty to pray for a blessing upon the Assembly of Divines the Armies by Sea and Land for the defence of the King Parliament and Kingdome Every Minister is herein to apply himselfe in his Prayer before or after his Sermon to those occasions but for the manner he is left to his liberty as God shall direct and inable him in piety and wisdome to discharge his duty The Prayer ended let a Psalme be sung if with conveniency it may be done After which unlesse some other Ordinance of Christ that concerneth the Congregation at that time be to follow let the Minister dismisse the Congregation with a solemne Blessing THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE SACRAMENTS And first Of BAPTISME BAPTISME As it is not unnecessarily to be delayed so is it not to be administred in any case by any private person but by a Minister of Christ called to be the Steward of the Mysteries of God Nor is it to be administred in private places or privately but in the place of Publique Worship and in the face of the Congregation where the people may most conveniently see and heare and not in the places where Fonts in the time of Popery were unfitly and superstitiously placed The Child to be Baptized after notice given to the Minister the day before is to be presented by the Father or in case of his necessary absence by some Christian friend in his place professing his earnest desire that the Child may be Baptised Before Baptisme the Minister is to use some words of Instruction touching the Institution Nature Use and ends of this Sacrament shewing That it is Instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ That it is a Seale of the Covenant of Grace of our Ingrafting into Christ and of our Vnion with him of Remission of Sins Regeneration Adoption and Life eternall That the Water in Baptisme representeth and signifieth both the bloud of Christ which taketh away all Guilt of Sinne Originall and Actuall and the sanctifying virtue of the Spirit of Christ against the Dominion of Sin and the Corruption of our sinfull Nature That Baptizing or sprinckling washing with water signifieth the cleansing from sin by the Bloud and for the Merit of Christ together with the Mortification of sin and rising from sin to Newnesse of life by virtue of the Death and Resurrection of Christ That the Promise is made to Beleevers and their seed and that the seed and posterity of the faithfull born within the Church have by their birth interest in the Covenant and right to the Seale of it and to the outward Priviledges of the Church under the Gospell no lesse then the Children of Abraham in the time of the Old Testament the Covenant of Grace for substance being the same and the Grace of God and the consolation of Beleevers more plentifull then before That the Sonne of God admitted litle children into his presence imbracing and blessing them saying For of such is the Kingdome of God That children by Baptisme are solemnly received into the bosome of the visible Church distinguished from the world and them that are without and united with Beleevers and that all who are baptized in the Name of Christ doe renounce and by their Baptisme are bound to fight against the Devill the World and the Flesh That they are Christians and foederally holy before Baptisme and therefore are they Baptized That the inward Grace and virtue of Baptisme is not tyed to that very moment of time wherein it is administred and that the fruit and power thereof reacheth to the whole course of our life and that outward Baptisme is not so necessary that through the want thereof the Infant is in danger of Damnation or the Parents guilty if they doe not contemne or neglect the Ordinance of Christ when and where it may be had In these or the like Instructions the Minister is to use his own liberty and godly wisdome as the Ignorance or Errours in the Doctrine of Baptisme and the Edification of the people shall require He is also to admonish all that are present To looke back to their Baptisme to repent of their sins against their Covenant with God to stirre up their faith to improove and make the rigbt use of their Baptisme and of the Covenant sealed thereby betwixt God and their soules He is to exhort the Parent To consider the great mercy of God to him and his child To bring up the child in the knowledge of the grounds of the Christian Religion and in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and to let him know the danger of Gods wrath to himselfe and child if he be negligent Requiring his solemne promise for the performance of his duty This being done Prayer is also to be joyned with the word of Institution for sanctifying the water to this spirituall use and the Minister is to pray to this or the like effect That the Lord who hath not left us as strangers without the Covenant of Promise but called us to the priviledges of his Ordinances would graciously vouchsafe to sanctifie and blesse his owne Ordinance of Baptisme at this time That he would joyne the inward Baptisme of his Spirit with the outward Baptisme of water make this Baptisme to the Infant a Seale of Adoption Remission of Sin Regeneration and Eternall Life and of all other Promises of the Covenant of Grace That the Child may be planted into the likenesse of the Death and Resurrection of Christ and that the body of sin being destroyed in him he may serve God in newnesse of life all his dayes Then the Minister is to demand the Name of the Child which being told him he is to say calling the Child by his Name I Baptise thee in the Name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost As he pronounceth these words he is to Baptize the Child with water which for the manner of doing it is not only lawfull but sufficient and most expedient to be by powring or sprinckling of the water on the face of
all marriage cares and troubles sanctifying Gods name in a thankefull sober and holy use of all Conjugall comforts praying much with and for one another watching over and provoking each other to love and good works and to live together as the heires of the Grace of life After solemn charging of the persons to be married before the Great God who searcheth all hearts and to whom they must give a strict account at the last Day that if either of them know any cause by praecontract or otherwise why they may not lawfully proceed to marriage that they now discover it The Minister if no impediment be acknowledged shall cause first the man to take the woman by the right hand saying these words I N. doe take thee N. to be my married wife and doe in the presence of God and before this Congregation promise and covenant to be a loving and faithfull husband unto thee untill God shall separate us by death Then the woman shall take the man by his right hand and say these words I N. doe take thee N. to be my maried husband and I doe in the presence of God and before this Congregation promise and covenant to be a loving faithfull and obedient wife unto thee untill God shall separate us by death Then without any further Ceremony the Minister shall in the face of the Congregation pronounce them to be husband and wife according to Gods Ordinance and so conclude the action with Prayer to this effect That the Lord would be pleased to accompany his own Ordinance with his blessing beseeching him to enrich the persons now married as with other pledges of his love so particularly with the comforts and fruits of marriage to the praise of his abundant mercy in and through Christ Jesus A Register is to be carefully kept wherein the names of the parties so married with the time of their marriage are forthwith to be fairly recorded in a Book provided for that purpose for the perusall of all whom it may concern Concerning Visitation of the Sicke IT is the duty of the Minister not onely to teach the People committed to his charge in publique but privatly particularly to admonish exhort reproove coÌ„fort them upon all seasonable occasions so far as his time strength and personall safety will permit He is to admonish them in time of health to prepare for death and for that purpose they are often to confer with their Minister about the estate of their souls and in times of sicknesse to desire his advice and help timely and sâ—…bly before their strength and underâ—…ing 〈◊〉 them Times of Sicknesse and affliction are speciall opportunities put into his hand by God to minister a word in season to weary souls because then the Consciences of men are or should be more awakened to bethink themselves of their Spirituall estates for Eternity and Satan also takes advantage then to load them more with sore and heavy temptations Therefore the Minister being sent for and repairing to the sick is to apply himself with all tendernesse and love to administer some Spirituall good to his soul to this effect He may from the consideration of the present sicknesse instruct him out of Scripture that diseases come not by chance or by distempers of body only but by the wise and orderly guidance of the good hand of God to every particular person smitten by them And that whether it be laid upon him out of displeasure for sin for his correction and amendment or for Triall and exercise of his graces or for other speciall and excellent ends all his suffrings shall turn to his profit and work together for his good if he sincerely labour to make a sanctified use of Gods Visitation neither despising his chastening nor waxing weary of his correction If he suspect him of ignorance he shall examine him in the Principles of Religion especially touching Repentance and Faith and as he seeth cause instruct him in the nature use excellency and necessity of those graces as also touching the Covenant of Grace and Christ the Son of God the Mediator of it and concerning Remission of sins by faith in him He shall exhort the sick person to examine himself to search and try his former wayes and his estate towards God And if the sick person shall declare any scruple doubt or temptation thâ—… are upon him instructions and resolutions shall be given to satisfie and settle him If it appear that he hath not a due senâ—e of his sins endeavours ought to be used to convince him of his sins of the guilt and deserâ— of them of the filth and pollution which the soul contracts by them and of the curse of the Law and wrath of God due to them that he may be truly affected with and humbled for them and withall to make known the danger of deferring Repentance and of neglecting salvation at any time offered to awaken his Conscience and rowze him out of a stupid and secure condition to apprehend the Justice and wrath of God before whom none can stand but he that being lost in himself layeth hold upon Christ by Faith If he have endeavoured to walk in the wayes of holinesse and to serve God in uprightnesse although not without many failings and infirmities or if his spirit be broken with the sense of sin or cast down through want of the sence of Gods favour then it will be fit to raise him up by setting before him the freeness and fulness of Gods grace the sufficiency of righteousnesse in Christ the gracious offers in the Gospel that all who repent and believe with all their heart in Gods mercy through Christ renouncing their own righteousnes shall have life and salvation in him It may be also usefull to shew him that death hath in it no Spirituall evill to be feared by those that are in Christ because sin the sting of death is taken away by Christ who hath delivered all that are his from the bondage of the fear of death triumphed over the grave given us victory is Himself entred into glory to prepare a place for His people So that neither life nor death shall be able to seperate them from Gods love in Christ in whom such are sure though 〈◊〉 they must be laid in the dust to obâ—… 〈…〉 â—…rection to 〈…〉 Advice also may be given as to beware of an ill grounded perswasion on mercy or on the goodnesse of his condition for heaven so to disclaime all merit in himself and to cast himself wholly upon God for mercy in the sole Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ who hath engaged himself never to cast off them who in truth and sincerity come unto him Care also must be taken that the sick person be not cast down into dispaire by such a severe representation of the wrath of God due to him for his sins as is not mollified by a seasonable propounding of Christ and his merit for a door of hope to every penitent Believer
When the sick person is best composed may be least disturbed and other necessary offices about him least hindred the Minister if desired shall pray with him and for him to this effect 〈…〉 and bewailing of sin Original and Actual the miserable condition of all by nature as being Children of Wrath and under the Curse acknowledging that all Diseases Sicknesses Death and Hell it self are the proper issues and effects thereof Imploring Gods mercy for the sick person through the Blood of Christ beseeching that God would open his eyes discover unto him his sins cause him to see himself lost in himself make known to him the cause why God smiteth him reveal Jesus Christ to his soul for Righteousnesse and life give unto him his holy Spirit to create and strengthen faith to lay hold upon Christ to work in him comfortable evidences of his love to arm him against Temptations to take off his heart from the world to sanctify his present visitation to furnish him with patience and strength to beare it and to give him perseverance in Faith to the end That if God shall please to adde to his dayes he would vouchsafe to blesse and sanctify all means of his recovery to remove the disease renew his strength and enable him to walk worthy of God by a faithfull remembrance and diligent observing of such vows and promises of holinesse and obedience as men are apt to make in times of sicknesse that he may glorifie God in the remaining part of his life And if God have determined to finish his dayes by the present Visitation he may finde such Evidence of the Pardon of all his sins of his interest in Christ and Eternall life by Christ as may cause his inward man to be renewed while his outward man decayeth that he may behold Death without fear cast himself wholly upon Christ without doubting desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ and so receive the end of his Faith the Salvation of his Soule through the only merits and intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ our alone Saviour and All-sufficient Redeemer The Minister shall admonish him also as there shall be cause to set his house in order thereby to prevent inconveniences to take care for the payment of his debts and to make restitution or satisfaction where he hath done any wrong to be reconciled to those with whom he hath been at variance and fully to forgive all men their trespasses against him as he expects forgivenesse at the hand of God Lastly the Minister may improve the present occasion to exhort those about the sick person to consider their own mortality to return to the Lord and make Peace with him in health to prepare for sicknesse death and judgement and all the dayes of their appointed time so to wait untill their change come that when Christ who is our life shall appear they may appear with him in glory Concerning Buriall of the Dead WHen any person departeth this life let the dead body upon the day of Buriall be decently attended from the house to the place appointed for publique Buriall and there immediately interred without any Ceremony And because the customes of kneeling down and praying by or towards the dead Corps and other such usages in the place where it lies before it be carried to Buriall are Superstitious and for that praying reading and singing both in going to and at the Grave have been grosly abused are no way beneficiall to the dead and have proved many wayes hurtfull to the living therefore let all such things be laid aside Howbeit we judge it very convenient that the Christian friends which accompany the dead body to the place appointed for publique Buriall doe apply themselves to meditations and conferences suitable to the occasion and that the Minister as upon other occasions so at this time if he be present may put them in remembrance of their Duty That this shall not extend to deny any civill respects or differences at the Buriall suitable to the ranke and condition of the party deceased whiles he was living Concerning Publique Solemne Fasting WHen some great and notable Judgements are either inflicted upon a People or apparently imminent or by some extraordinary provocations notoriously deserved as also when some speciall blessing is to bee sought and obtained Publique solemne Fasting which is to continue the whole Day is a Duty that God expecteth from that Nation or people A Religious Fast requires totall abstinence not only from all food unlesse bodily weaknesse doe manifestly disable from holding out till the Fast be ended in which case somewhat may be taken yet very sparingly to support nature when ready to faint but also from all worldly labour discourses and thoughts and from all bodily delights although at other times lawfull rich apparell ornaments and such like during the Fast and much more from what ever is in the nature or use scandalous and offensive as garish attire lascivious habits and gestures and other vanities of either sexe which we recommend to all Ministers in their places diligently zealously to reproove as at other times so especially at a Fast without respect of persons as there shall be occasion Before the Publique meeting each Family and person apart are privately to use all religious care to prepare their hearts to such a solemne work and to be early at the Congregation So large a portion of the Day as conveniently may be is to be spent in Publique Reading and Preaching of the Word with singing of Psalmes fit to quicken affections suitable to such a Duty but especially in Prayer to this or the like effect Giving Glory to the Great Majesty of God the Creator Preserver and Supreame Ruler of all the World the better to affect us thereby with an holy reverence and awe of Him Acknowledging his manifold great and tender mercies especially to the Church and Nation the more effectually to soften and abase our hearts before him Humbly confessing of sins of all sorts with their severall aggravations justifying Gods righteous Judgements as being farre lesse then our sins doe deserve yet humbly and earnestly imploring his mercy and grace for our selves the Church and Nation for our King and all in Authority and for all others for whom we are bound to pray according as the present exigent requireth with more speciall importunity and inlargement then at other times Applying by faith the Promises and Goodnesse of God for Pardon help and deliverance from the Evils felt feared or deserved and for obtaining the blessings which we need and expect together with a giving up of our selves wholly and for ever unto the Lord. In all these the Ministers who are the mouthes of the people unto God ought so to speak from their hearts upon serious and through premeditation of them that both themselves and their people may be much affected and even melted thereby especially with sorrow for their sins that it may be indeed a Day of deepe humiliation